Leo Varadkar

Ryanair Bid for Aer Lingus Blocked by EU Antitrust Agency

Ryanair Holdings Plc’s 694 million- euro ($909 million) bid for Aer Lingus Group Plc was blocked by the European Union for a second time after regulators decided it would increase fares and reduce choice on flights from Ireland.

Ryanair to Fight EU as Aer Lingus Takeover Bid Set to Fail

Ryanair Holdings Plc plans to appeal a move by European regulators to block its 694 million-euro ($932 million) bid for Aer Lingus Group Plc, in a last-ditch attempt to salvage a deal that has already failed twice before.

Irish Opposition’s Varadkar Says His Party May Vote Against Aid

Leo Varadkar, energy spokesman with Ireland’s largest opposition party, Fine Gael, said it’s his “expectation that” his party will “vote against” Ireland’s 85 billion-euro ($112 billion) international aid package on Dec. 15.

Barclays, Kesa Electrical, Songbird: U.K., Irish Equity Preview

The following is a list of companies that may have unusual share-price changes in U.K. and Irish markets. Stock symbols are in parentheses and prices are from the last market close.

Varadkar Says Banks Will Pay EU800m for Guarantee in 2012

Ireland’s banks will pay about 800 million euros for the state banking guarantee in 2012, Tourism Minister Leo Varadkar said. In an interview with Dublin-based state broadcaster RTE, he said that while ideally the ECB would be the lender of last resort for banks, that’s currently not the case,

Irish Minister Says ESM May Not Be Best to Recapitalize Banks

Irish Transport Minister Leo Varadkar said using the European Stability Mechanism to recapitalize troubled banks may not be the best way to contain the euro-area debt crisis.

Aer Lingus Courts Institutional Investors to Halt Ryanair

Aer Lingus Group Plc said it’s in touch with investors willing to buy stakes in the carrier as it seeks to fend off a 694 million-euro ($849 million) takeover bid from Irish discount rival Ryanair Holdings Plc.

Spanair Collapse Puts Europe’s State-Owned Airlines on Alert for Investors

Spanair SA’s collapse after the withdrawal of state funding suggests Europe’s debt crisis may spur airlines from the Mediterranean to the Baltic to consider mergers or risk failure.

Etihad CEO Interested in Buying Ryanair’s Aer Lingus Stake

Gulf carrier Etihad Airways said it’s interested in buying Ryanair Holdings Plc’s near 30 percent stake in Aer Lingus Group Plc as Europe’s biggest discount airline struggles to take over its Irish competitor.

Ireland May Need Additional Emergency European Union Loan, Times Says

Ireland may need an additional emergency loan from the European Union and International Monetary Fund, the Sunday Times reported, citing an interview with Irish Transport Minister Leo Varadkar .

"The ESM is a little like the IMF: it has to be paid back."

- Leo Varadkar on Jun 05, 2012

Europe

Michael O'Leary

Etihad Airways

U.S. Stocks Advance on Leading Indicators, Sentiment Data

U.S. Stocks, Dollar Rise as Data Fuel Economic Confidence

Gold Heads for Longest Slump in Four Years on Fed, Dollar

‘Star Trek’ $112 Million Open to Put Summer in Warp Drive

Senate Confirms MIT’s Moniz as Obama’s Energy Secretary